FTAI am writing about this because upon several occasions when I’ve
commented about a problem that Congress has caused, I’ve been called
down on it. “No, it is the people’s fault”. “The people voted these
people into office so it is the people’s fault that government is
corrupt.” That’s what people I believe are conservative say.
Progressives say, “so what, everybody does it? You only get mad when
OUR guy does it.”

I am no different from any other conservative who feel our government
must be honorable, honest, have enormous integrity, and judicious in
its decisions. Every conservative I know works toward those ends –
always have. We vote that way. We teach our children that way. We
counsel our friends that way. We make decisions that way. We live by
that code.

I happen to be a person who is not in love with the best of
governments, I deplore rotten ones, and I do not claim ownership over a
bunch of corrupt bullies with guns and enforcers to made their demands
sinister. However, I live in a great country with a history of a good
deal of freedoms, so I’ve paid my taxes regularly and completely – for
50 years I paid without a complaint. Now I do complain with no plans to
stop complaining because “MY GOVERNMENT” won’t do the things it should
and instead punishes me for doing my planning ahead, not getting
pregnant out of wedlock, not requiring a welfare check, not needing food
stamps, not having to be on medicaid, being able to pay my dentist and
all my bills in full every month. I even vote legally and I never miss
an election, and when I vote I at least know as much as I can about the
candidates.

But NEVER, and I stress that word, NEVER has my involvement had a
single effect on “MY GOVERNMENT” officials. I’m a big gal, but a mere
spot of dust in politicians’ eyes, another sucker to be plucked to
accomplish that politician’s needs and desires. When I ask the
question, “What more can we possibly do to get DC to hear us?”, I am
told I can vote. Duh!!!! Of course I can vote – and my vote carries as
much authority as does every one else’s – NONE.

That brings me to the ballot box. According to most Americans the
ballot box assures us that WE are in charge. What makes people say
that? Habit? No real answer? Knowing full well that our politicians
are corrupt as are the people who work for them and pick up their
messes, I really wish someone would explain in detail exactly how MY
voting alters anything when everyone knows it may be offset by 100
illegal votes…..or 10,000 illegal votes. And when every legal vote is
counted, does everyone assume the count has been legal? People who
count every cent of change for a $1 bill TRUST the count in any election
for people who will dictate to us their entire time in service. This
reminds me of insanity more than it does a Constitutional government.

Alec Bruce of the Atlantic Business Magazine of Canada recently wrote this:

“A democracy whose government preys on the fears of the majority as
readily as it embraces its own narrow interests is no democracy at all;
it is, by ambition and practice, an elected oligarchy. And over the
years, Canada has come closer to that which its traditions and civic
sensibilities once utterly despised: a nation ruled by smug,
self-satisfied cohorts whose coarse manipulation of facts and rational
argument undermines intelligent debate and resists effective political
opposition.

Beyond the fact that career politicians and lobbyists have totally corrupted the process of government, is the underlying financial base that most do not see. We have essentially lost our sovereignty to banking and oil interests. Act of 1871 is the harbinger of this complex but real 'arrangement' that works with the 'fed' and basically renders our entire population slaves to an unseen system that lines the pockets of some powerful, ultra rich barons. Fractional currency, making money and power out of thin air, in a system tilted to advantage these controllers, who become the real owners of this once sovereign and free country, is the vehicle used to subordinate us. Until we 'man up', and address this Goliath, we will be left in a very vulnerable position. Once a REPUBLIC, comprised of free people in whom the power resided, we are now a sickening European style democracy being led about by evil interests. Can we take our country back? Certainly...but not without being INFORMED, CHALLENGED, DEDICATED and ready to FIGHT for our freedom as never before.

Our government (US) not not of the people, nor for the people anymore. It have been taken over by career politicians and lawyers whose only interests, are their own, and those of their strongest contributors.

We no longer vote for the best candidate... we vote for the lesser of 2 evils - or just to get the current person out.

If a current president wishes to run for re-election, nobody in the same party can run against him - unless they change party. So the people have no choice but to vote for their opposing party candidate if they don't like the person who is from their own party.

Our Government was never meant to be a career, and yet it is for many today.

We have multiple generations of entire families, that have never actually worked anywhere, but in political office.

Our Tax System, and Law System has become so complex, ONLY lawyers have the power to understand them, and event then, they must regularly argue in court, the meanings of the wordings in them. and Yet "Ignorance of the Law is no excuse" You can't expect citizens to understand what is legal, when the people who wrote the law in the first place don't know!

Our government belongs to those within it, because we willingly gave it to them.

You're not alone, friend! I feel the same way. The only way out of this mess and this dilemma is not tilting every new windmill they erect overnight, but to slam the doors in D.C. I suppose that's a figurative statement for now, but keep on voting for lesser evils rather than for principle, and the debt will overcome us and collapse will slam the doors without our lifting a finger.

The Declaration of Independence defined legitimate government as that whose only function was to protect the equal, sovereign rights of the individual to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Constitution was a mandate by the People that government was so limited by carefully enumerated powers and by the reservation of the many rights of the People to themselves, that government could not violate their equal, sovereign individual rights. Our government has spent the last 100 plus years under Progressive Elitists expanding the powers of government so that it now is constantly in violation of our individual rights and has expanded far, far beyond its enumerated powers that pertained almost entirely to the national defense and foreign affairs. Patent and bankruptcy law, the enforcement of contract, the establishment of uniform weights and measures, the provision of currency, and the postal system with post roads were about the only additions. Look at the edifice that sends hordes of bureaucrats swarming across the country to eat out our sustenance now. Look at the voracious federal government spending 25% of the GDP and the hungry state and local governments piled on top of that. Look at the debt and liabilities piled on future generations who never voted on the wicked and extravagant expenditures that caused that debt and liability.

Great comment, Charles. Unfortunately it doesn't sound like something I would claim ownership of. I would cheerfully claim ownership if I had one scintilla of power to manage ownership - but I don't. Neither does any other honorable person.

I've been DOING that for many years with impunity, but most are sore afraid to do so. People go to jail for tax fraud, but there is no law requiring you to file a 1040. Beware only that you not sign a 1040 and "admit your guilt".